Review: Such Charming Liars

Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It has always been Kat and her mom, Jamie. There was a brief time when her mom was married, but that only lasted 48 hours. Jamie is a good jewel thief but wants to leave that life behind … after one last heist. Kat finagles onto the job, and they run into her mom’s ex-husband and his son. They have their own scam planned … then the billionaire dies. Who else is a target? Is there anyone Kat can trust?

Such Charming Liars was a fun if not exciting read. Although this book wasn’t very long, I didn’t find the mystery very attention-catching. The story moved along, and all questions got answered, but I finished the book wondering why I spent the time. It's not as good as McManus’ other books, but not the worst mystery written recently.


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Review: Break to You

Break to You by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Adriana must endure seven months in juvie.  The only saving grace is she has been permitted to keep her journal.  When she misplaces it, she thinks everyone will know her secret thoughts.  She is relieved when she finds it, but unsure when she discovers that someone has written back … a boy.  Jon is in juvie for a different reason and this journal may be the connection to someone else that he has been craving.

Break to You is a stand-alone realistic fiction story that helps readers understand the juvenile justice system as well as some issues that lead teens to be in juvie.  Although this is written by multiple authors, I did not see any demarcations of when one was writing and when another took over.  The overall story was well thought out and I was fully invested in these two young people.  A great story for teens and adults alike.

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Review: 49 Miles Alone

49 Miles Alone by Natalie D. Richards
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Katie and Aster have planned to spend 4 days alone in the desert trekking 49 miles.  They have made trips like this before, but this one has been a cluster from the beginning.  One of them becomes injured and the other becomes ill.  Then a storm shatters their resolve and ruins some of their supplies.  Just when they are about to give up and call for help, they run into a young couple with extra supplies.  They are happy for the help, but something about the boyfriend seems off.  Will this pair make it out alive?  What other obstacles will this trail throw their way?

49 Miles Alone is an adventure story that was half plot set up and half high octane.  It was interesting to learn about this type of hiking and the hazards that could occur, but the adventure was lackluster, and I had to keep re-reading passages to remember what was going on.  The book’s saving grace is that it was a short read.  49 Miles Alone would be good for a road trip distraction.

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Review: Seasick

Seasick by Kristin Cast
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Naya and Yana used to be best friends, but that ended a long time ago.  They are thrown back together when both are accepted into a special group for Yatesville High’s best graduates.  There are many perks to being in this group; the first is a trip to Bermuda.  Everyone had to turn in their phones before joining the group on the yacht and that becomes a huge issue when one of their classmates is murdered and the crew is drugged unconscious.  Now they are stuck at sea, with no way to get help, and they must trust each other enough to find out who the murderer is and (hopefully) survive themselves.  Who can they trust?

Seasick is a psychological thriller that starts with blood everywhere and then the story backs up to the beginning.  Once the book takes off, it is all character development until the one-third mark when the first murder takes place.  I felt this book took too long for the mystery to get going.  As the storyline progressed, everything fell apart, and the overall plot felt forced.  Not recommended for true mystery fans.

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Review: Icon and Inferno

Icon and Inferno by Marie Lu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Winter has not been able to stop thinking about Sydney for the past year.  He may be a superstar, but that feeling is nothing like when he went undercover to take down one of London’s bad guys.  Now that rumors are flying about a tell-all book, Winter would like nothing more than to get away into Sydney’s secret world.  His wishes come true when Sydney and Winter are paired up for an extraction mission; an assassination goes wrong and now they are on the run.  Who is undermining their mission? 

Icon and Inferno is the second book in the Stars and Smoke series.  Currently, this romantic adventure is listed with only two books, but the “log” at the end of the book leaves these characters open for more adventures and maybe a little more romance.  Although it had been over a year since I read the first book, I was easily able to jump into this story without feeling confused at all.  The adventures felt natural and the book had a can’t-put-down feel the entire time.  I will read the next book … if it is ever written.  

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Review: The Queen of Poisons

The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Mayor of Marlow dies during a town council meeting and traces of aconite are found in his coffee.  Aconite is known as the queen of poisons because of its toxicity.  Before Judith, Suzie, and Becks can meddle too far, they are brought in as civilian advisors to the police and the trio begin to investigate, even if they don’t follow normal police procedures.  This case appears to be more complicated than at first glance and the Marlow Murder Club must pull out all the stops to find the killer.  Who would want to kill the mayor?  Is anyone else on the murderer’s radar?

The Queen of Poisons is the third book in The Marlow Murder Club series.  These characters are so much fun to read about and even though it had been months since I read the second book, I was easily able to remember the quirks of each of these ladies and jump full tilt into this new mystery.  Thorogood has created a town with characters that most readers can relate to and another story that was hard to put down.  Although this could be read and enjoyed on its own, readers will have more fun if they read the books in order.

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Review: Storm: Dawn of a Goddess

Storm: Dawn of a Goddess by Tiffany D. Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ororo has been living on the streets of Cairo for years.  Ever since she survived the plane crash that killed her parents, she has been keeping her white hair covered and her blue eyes down.  Fortunately, she is good at what she does … taking things from tourists.  Her skill as a pickpocket isn’t her only feature, though.  Sometimes, if she is upset, sudden storms appear around her.  Her life may not be perfect, but it is hers until the Shadow King locates her and she must run and discover where her powers come from.  Will Ororo learn to control her powers?  What truths will she discover about her people?

Storm: Dawn of a Goddess is a stand-alone fantasy adventure story for fans of the Marvel Universe and even those who know nothing about it.  This origin story has many cameo appearances from beloved Marvel characters and the adventure that Ororo is subject to was exhilarating.  I found myself finding time to get back to the book quickly so that I could see how it would unfold.  Jackson hit the book out of the ballpark with this story and this updated world has more stories available if she wants to continue.

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